Abstract
This study compares nasopharyngeal and tracheal samples for COVID-19 viral testing in patients with a tracheostomy. This was a prospective cohort study done at 2 academic hospitals between March and June 2020. Patients admitted through the emergency department who had a COVID-19 test and an existing tracheostomy or underwent a tracheostomy during the admission period were included. Patients with a positive initial nasopharyngeal swab were placed in the experimental group (n = 8), while those with a negative swab were the control group (n = 7). Nasopharyngeal and tracheal samples underwent COVID-19 testing using the Abbott RealTime SARS-CoV-2 RNA assay. Fourteen patients underwent tracheostomy, and 1 had an existing tracheostomy. The average duration of viral shedding in nasopharyngeal samples was 20.9 days. One patient (6.7%) tested positive in tracheal secretions after a negative nasopharyngeal swab. In the remaining patients (93.3%), the nasopharyngeal and tracheal specimens correlated.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
